Short Interest in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Rises By 5.2%

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 948,400 shares, a growth of 5.2% from the January 15th total of 901,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 293,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.2 days.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA opened at $33.25 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The company has a market cap of $2.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.27 and a beta of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $41.03. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.23.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,622,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,303,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, garden, and pet supplies markets. It operates through the Pet and Garden segments. The Pet segment focuses on dog and cat supplies such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and containment, grooming products, waste management and training pads, supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles and pet birds including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish and small animals as well as outdoor cushions.